Batting

BANGOR, Maine – Bri Brochu's RBI infield single in the bottom of the 6th inning snapped a 2-2 tie to lead the top seeded and host Husson University Eagles to a 3-2 win over the fourth seeded New England College Pilgrims in game one of the 2017 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Softball Championship Tournament on Friday morning at O'Keefe Field.

The Eagles struck first in the bottom half of the first inning on a RBI single to right center by Tamara Aunchman plating Bri Brochu with the first run of the game.

Trailing 1-0 in the top of the third inning, the Pilgrims got on the board with two runs off three hits to take the lead. Joslyn Gallagher reached on a fielder's choice with one out and moved up to third base as a result of a single by Brianna Castellano, who advanced to second on the throw before they scored on a two-run single down the right field line by Alexa Scribner.

Debra Mazzeo kept the Eagles at bay until the bottom of the six when Jen Jones singled up the middle, then advanced to second on a fielding error by Rachel Kerrigan off a ground ball by Kylie Kennedy who reached on the fielder's choice. After Mazzeo walked Nicole Andrade to load the bases, on the very next pitch by Mazzeo, Jones scored the game tying run on a wild pitch. With two outs, Kylie Kennedy scored the game-winning run on Bri Brochu's infield single.

Jen Jones retired the Pilgrims in order to secure the 3-2 victory for the Eagles.

Arika Brochu started the game and went 3.0 innings. She allowed four hits, two earned runs and struck out two. Jen Jones (8-5) picked up the win for the Eagles by going 4.0 innings, allowing no runs, and striking out six. Jones retired every batter she faced except for Brianna Castellano who reached base with an infield single in the fifth.

With her six strikeouts, Jones picked up her 100th career strikeout becoming the first rookie in program history to record 100 punch-outs in a single-season.

Debra Mazzeo (7-15) was tabbed with the loss. She went 6.0 innings, gave up three earned runs, struck out four and walked one. Brianna Castellano led the New England College (17-20) offense with two hits in the loss.

The Eagles will face the third seed Thomas (Maine), who defeated Castleton in Game 2 by a score of 5-1, in a winner's bracket game at 4:00 p.m. to determine who will advance to Saturday's NAC Softball Championship Final Game, while the loser will play the winner of Castleton and New England College in an elimination game at 12:00 p.m. tomorrow.